1995 German Grand Prix
30 July |number = 573 |officialname = LVII Großer Mobil 1 Preis von Deutschland |circuit = Hockenheimring |location = Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany |circuittype = Permanent racing facility |lapdistance = 6.823 |laps = 45 |distance = 307.035 |pole = Damon Hill |polenation = GBR |poleteam = |poletime = 1:44.385 |fastestlap = 1:48.824 |fastestlapdriver = Michael Schumacher |fastestlapnation = GER |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 22 |winner = Michael Schumacher |winnernation = GER |winnerteam = |second = David Coulthard |secondnation = GBR |secondteam = |third = Gerhard Berger |thirdnation = AUT |thirdteam = }} The 1995 German Grand Prix, otherwise officially known as the LVII Großer Mobil 1 Preis von Deutschland, was the ninth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on the 30 July 1995.'German GP, 1995', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr573.html, (Accessed 09/08/2019) The race, which was the first to be staged since the death of legendary five time Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, would be fondly remembered for the celebrations surrounding race winner Michael Schumacher, who would stall his car while waving to the jubilant home fans. Qualifying was arguably the best part of the weekend, with a barrage of quick laps seeing pole position exchanged numerous times between seven drivers. Ultimately, however, it was Damon Hill who grabbed top spot on the grid ahead of Schumacher, with David Coulthard, Gerhard Berger, the two s and Mika Häkkinen in the also involved. The start of the race saw Hill claim an early lead, edging out Schumacher on the run to the first corner. Behind it would be largely grid order, with two early retirements in the form of Mika Salo and Max Papis. Unfortunately any hopes of a battle for victory came to an end at the start of the second lap, with a driveshaft failure for Hill sending the #5 flying into the barriers at turn one. Hill would escape unhurt, initially believing that he had hit an oil slick, with Schumacher inheriting the lead. It was at this point that Williams' strategy went out of the window, having planned to run Hill to a two stop and Coulthard on a one stop. As such, Coulthard would check his pace in order to preserve both fuel and tyre life, while Schumacher, on a two stop slowly eased clear. Indeed, it was all over for Coulthard when Schumacher made two very quick stops either-side of the Scot's, leaving him with a commanding lead. Elsewhere, Jean Alesi and Berger's hopes were dashed by engine failures and penalties respectively, while a promising run for Häkkinen was curtailed by a loss of pneumatic pressure. With that the race was effectively over, with Schumacher cruising across the line to claim victory, becoming the first German driver to win the German Grand Prix since Rudolf Caracciola in 1939. Coulthard and Berger duly crossed the line in his wake to complete the podium, just in time to see Schumacher stall while waving to the fans at turn one. A tow-truck was scrambled to recover the German ace, which quickly dragged him down the long run into the forest. After a few minutes in a now quiet corner of the black forest, Schumacher would be greeted by a huge roar from the crowd as he entered the stadium section, with fireworks and fan waving aplenty. After the race Williams would actively begin searching for a new driver, having decided that the Hill-Coulthard combination was not up to their standards after another weekend of lost points. They hence invited young Canadian CART star Jacques Villeneuve, the son of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve, to begin an intense testing programme that ultimately led to the Canadian getting a full seat in . Background It was status quo at the head of the Championship, with neither of the major protagonists managing to score after their collision. As such, Michael Schumacher had retained his eleven point lead over Damon Hill, with the Brit also coming under pressure from Jean Alesi, who left Silverstone just three points off the Brit. Elsewhere, Johnny Herbert had leapt up to fourth ahead of David Coulthard, with fourteen drivers on the board. had been the big winners of the weekend, extending their lead in the Constructors Championship to eleven points. were still their closest challengers, having eeked out a three point advantage over in third. , meanwhile, remained in fourth ahead of , the latter having moved ahead of on count-back. Entry List The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Friday Qualifying Saturday Qualifying Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. Grid ** Diniz would start the race from the pitlane. Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. ** Irvine was still classified despite retiring as he had completed 90% of the race distance. Milestones * entered their 300th Grand Prix as a constructor.'9. Germany 1995', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1995/allemagne.aspx, (Accessed 09/08/2019) * 75th Grand Prix entry for Johnny Herbert.'1995 German GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1995&gp=German%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 09/08/2019) * 25th entries for Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Olivier Panis. * Andrea Montermini entered his tenth Grand Prix. * Debut race for Giovanni Lavaggi. * Michael Schumacher secured his fifteenth career victory. ** Schumacher would also record the twentieth fastest lap of his career. * secured their 21st win as a constructor. ** This was also the 70th podium finish for the British squad. ** secured their 66th victory as an engine supplier. * David Coulthard claimed the 180th podium finish for a Renault engine. * Maiden points finish for Jean-Christophe Boullion. Standings Michael Schumacher would leave Hockenheim with an increasingly daunting Championship lead heading into the second half of the season, having scored 56 points across the opening nine rounds. Indeed, in failing to score Damon Hill had slipped 21 points behind the German ace, with Jean Alesi in third a further three behind, making Schumacher the overwhelming favourite. Elsewhere, Johnny Herbert had closed in on those two in fourth, while David Coulthard had edged ahead of Gerhard Berger to secure fifth. Like their lead driver had pulled out a fair lead in the Constructors Championship at the halfway point, leaving Germany win 71 points. That left their advantage over at eighteen points, with a point off the Scuderia in third. A huge gap then followed to fourth placed , while had moved a point ahead of at the halfway stage. Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:1995 Grands Prix Category:German Grand Prix Category:Formula One races in Germany